Retracting reel apparatus



Nov. 6, 1962 NOBUZO ADACHI 3,062,478

RETRACTING REEL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 15, 1960 INVENTOR.

fil/ZO ATTORNEY- United States Patent Of 3,062,478 RETRACTIN G REEL APPARATUS Nohuzo Adachi, Kohoku Kn, Yokohama, Japan, assignor to Danny Bramer Enterprises, El Cajon, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Feb. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 8,631 1 Claim. (Cl. 242107) the like is secured to the casing element through which the fastening device is disposed. This hook is adapted to fit over the belt or pocket of the user, it being noted that the exterior of the other casing element is completely flush so that the front of the present reel apparatus is attractive and unbroken by screws, rivets, or other fastening elements.

A reel is carried by the shaft for rotation in the casing compartment formed by the casing elements, and this reel includes a pair of spaced apart disks which are connected by a hub. A flexible chain is arranged about this hub between the pair of disks, one end of the chain being secured to the hub and the other end of the chain being trained outwardly through an opening in the casing. One of the disks is formed at its free margins into a peripheral flange for spacing that disk from the adjacent casing element. A helical spring is arranged within this space, the width of the flange preferably being greater than the Width of the spring to prevent binding between the spring and the adjacent casing element and disk during rotation of the reel. One end of the spring is secured to the shaft and the other end of the spring is secured to the peripheral flange of the adjacent casing element.

The other disk is preferably centrally indented to provide a boss for limiting axial travel of the reel to thereby prevent undesirable engagement between the hub and the adjacent disk. Thus, the present invention provides a form of reel which is characterized by a small area of frictional contact with adjacent parts so that a desirable free rotation of the rell about the shaft is provided.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification and appended drawings wherein is illustrated a preferred form of the invention, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, of the retracting reel apparatus of the present invention, as viewed from the rear thereof, and illustrating the apparatus in association with a key ring and key;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1, portions thereof being cut away for clarity; and

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a retracting reel apparatus 10 for use with a usual key ring 12 carrying a key 14. Key reel apparatus 10 comprises, generally, a pair of casing elements 16 and 18 which are preferably stamped or otherwise formed out of sheet material. Casing elements 16 and 18 are arranged in complemental relationship, and include a pair of parallel, spaced apart side walls 20 and 22, respectively, which have their free margins formed to provide a peripheral wall 24 to define a hollow casing compartment 26. The formed free margins of casing elements 16 and 18 are 3,062,478 Patented Nov. 6, 1962 conveniently abutted by providing a ledge or lip at the free margin of one of the casing elements and which is adapted to slidably receive the formed free margin of the other casing element, as illustrated.

Casing elements 16 and 18 are cut away to provide an opening within which is positioned a grommet 28 through which the flexible key chain 30 is trained. A tab or book '52 is secured to the outer face of easing element 1% by any suitable means, such as by brazing, to facilitate mounting of the present apparatus 10 to the belt or pocket of the user.

A mandrel or shaft 34 is centrally located within casing compartment 26 and is secured at one end, as by brazing or the like, to the inner face of side wall 20, the other end of shaft 34 abutting against a boss 36 formed in side wall 22 by indenting the central portion thereof. Fastening means secure casing element 18 to shaft 34, such means conveniently taking the form of a machine screw 38 fitted within a threaded opening in shaft 34. It is noted that this arrangement of shaft 34 provides a smooth, aesthetically attractive front surface for the present apparatus 10. No screws, rivets, or the like need be disposed through side wall 20 to hold any of the components of apparatus 10 in position. Further, as will be seen, the provision of boss 36 provides adequate clearance between casing element 18 and the rotating portions of apparatus It A reel 40 is carried by shaft 34 for rotation in casing compartment 26, reel 40 including a disk 42 having its tree margins formed into a peripheral flange 44 to define a spring space with casing element 20. A helical spring 46 is arranged in this spring space, one end of spring 46 being disposed within a suitable slot 48 provided in shaft 34. This end of spring 46 is bent over into a tab for retention in slot 48 during operation of apparatus 10. The other end of spring 46 is secured to flange 44 of disk 42 by any suitable means such as by a rivet 50. Flange 44 is preferably made wider than the width of spring 46 to prevent undesirable binding which might otherwise occur between side wall 20, spring 46 and the main body portion of disk 42.

Reel 40 also includes a disk 52 which is arranged in spaced relationship adjacent disk 42, and a hub 54 is arranged concentric with shaft 34 between disks 42 and 52. Hub 54 conveniently takes the form of a strip of metal formed into an annular shape and provided at its periphery with a plurality of tabs which are disposed through suitable openings in disks 42 and 52 and bent over to maintain hub 54 in position. 'It is again noted that hub 54 and disk 52 are desirably spaced from side wall 22 of easing element 18 by the provision of boss 36. Thus, undesirable friction is substantially reduced.

Flexible chain 30 is wound upon hub 54 in the space between disks 42 and 52, one end of chain 30 being secured in any suitable fashion through an opening in hub 54, the other end of chain 30 being trained outwardly of apparatus 10 through grommet 28.

It will be observed from FIG. 3, that the disks 42 and 52 of the reel 46 are each provided with a circular portion. These portions are disposed equal distances radially from the axis of the shaft '34 and extend toward one another. These portions strengthen the disk about the area where they are subjected to the heavy strain, namely at the hub sections thereof.

In use, apparatus It} is customarily hooked on the belt of the user by means of book 32, and key 14 is pulled to unreel chain 30. The pull on chain 30 causes reel 40 to rotate, unreeling chain 30 to permit use of key 14. As reel 40 rotates, spring 46 is wound to develop a strong bias or force tending to rotate reel 40 in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation caused by the unreeling of chain 30. When key 14 is released, spring 46 exerts its bias to rotate reel 40 in an opposite direction and wind chain 30 back upon hub 54.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claim.

I claim:

Retractable reel apparatus for key chains and the like, said reel apparatus comprising:

(A) a first casing element;

(B) a second casing element,

(1) said first casing element and said second casing element providing spaced side walls having their free margins formed to provide a peripheral wall to define a casing compartment, said peripheral wall having an opening;

(C) a constant diameter shaft secured at one end to said first casing element;

(D) fastening means secured between said second casing element and the other end of said shaft to secure together said first casing element and said second casing element;

(E) a reel carried by said shaft for rotation about said shaft and in said casing,

(2) said reel including a first circularly shaped disk having its free margin formed into a peripheral flange to define a spring space with said first casing element,

(3) said reel including a second circularly shaped disk,

(4) said disks each having a circular portion disposed radially at equal distance from the axis of the shaft, said portions extending toward one another,

(5) said disks each having a plurality of circularly arranged openings disposed adjacent said inwardly disposed circular portions,

(6) and means forming a hub arranged concentric with said shaft between said first disk and said second disk, said hub comprising a strip of metal arranged as an annulus and including a plurality of tabs extending therefrom and into the openings in the disks for securing said annulus to said disks;

(F) a helical spring arranged in said spring space, one end of said spring being connected to said shaft and the other end of said spring being connected to said peripheral flange;

(G) and a flexible chain arranged within said casing, one end of said chain being secured to said hub, the other end of said chain being trained through the opening in said peripheral wall to the exterior.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 913,328 Uebelmesser Feb. 23, 1909 934,114 Weaver Sept. 14, 1909 939,971 Brennan Nov. 16, 1909 974,477 Day Nov. 1, 1910 1,232,299 Hance July 3, 1917 1,837,234 Salzman Dec. 22, 1931 2,089,787 Goldberg Aug. 10, 1937 2,141,909 Hauser Dec. 27, 1938 2,314,504 Lifchultz Mar. 23, 1943 2,679,362 Thalhammer May 25, 1954 2,727,700 Zelnick Dec. 20, 1955 

